The Return
by Jewel08
Summary: How much can a Hero take before he breaks? The Hero of Time saves Termina, wondering what use it was, when his fate, and that of Hyrule's, was forever changed...
1. Chapter 1

**AN: *sigh* In case you guys didn't figure it out already, I am incapable of ever sticking to one story. This is purely Legend of Zelda, and it's based off a story I read on Archive of Our Own. In that story, after Link's battle with Majora in Majora's Mask, the Happy Mask Salesman appears to Link and offers to send him back to seven years in the future, where Link was a grown-up and sealed Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. I really recommend that story because it's really good and it made me cry, but mine is going to be different.**

 **So yes, spoilers for Majora's Mask and Ocarina of Time.**

 **Enjoy!**

Chapter One

"Kafei's waiting in Ikana Canyon," the Curiosity Shop man said. "In the meantime, he wants you to take this to his mother, Madam Aroma." Link accepted the Priority Mail, already thinking about where Kafei was waiting.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate it." With that, Link ran out of the cramped room and out the door, jumping over the water instead of walking on the path.

As Link continued running, eventually going past the guards and out of town, summoning Epona using her song as he went, he was continuously thinking. This wasn't the first time he'd tried this side-quest; he'd attempted helping Kafei take back the Sun's Mask too many times to count, with each attempt ending in failure. How would this time be any different?

Link skillfully jumped Epona over the fences, avoiding the Bombchus. Eventually, Link slowed his horse down to a stop, dismounting her. Giving the filly one last pat, he took out the Hookshot, aimed for the tree stump, and went sailing through the air. With practiced ease, Link ignored the ache in his very soul.

"Please, Goddesses, let this time be different," the Hero of Time muttered.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kafei was waiting where he had all those numerous times before, not that the purple-haired man-turned-child knew or remembered it. Link skidded to a stop next to him, asking, "You found him?"

Kafei nodded. "Sakon came into the Curiosity Shop late last night, selling a big Bomb Bag, and I followed him here when he left. The door can only be opened by Sakon himself, so we'll have to wait for him here."

"But it's still early morning, Kafei," Link pointed out. "Sakon probably won't be back until sundown."

"It doesn't matter," the mayor's son insisted. "I'll wait however long I have to, if this is how I can finally reunite with my parents and Anju."

Link flinched. Did Zelda feel like that, he wondered, during the seven years of hell she'd endured, while he was asleep? He shook his head, determined not to think about any of that. Hyrule was safe, Ganondorf wasn't a threat any more, and he... he was alone, forgotten by the very people and princess he'd sacrificed everything for.

"Link?" Kafei asked, red eyes (so much like Sheik's) concerned. "Are you all right?"

"No," the Hero of Time whispered. "I'm not okay at all."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me tell you a story," he replied, the both of them taking a seat on the barren ground. The howl of the wind whispered in their ears, lending a sorrow Link was well acquainted with. "A story about a boy, three stones, and a fairy..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"He came from a very distant land, yet not so different from Termina. Hyrule was its name, and it was made eons untold ago by the Golden Goddesses: Din, the Goddess of Power, Nayru, the Goddess of Wisdom, and Farore, the Goddess of Wisdom. After they made the world, the Goddesses left, leaving behind a holy object that contained their powers.

"It was called the Triforce, made up of the virtues of the Goddesses. If a person touched it, with their heart in balance, the Triforce would grant any wish they made. However, bloody wars were fought over its power, for it doesn't differentiate between good and evil, until it was sealed into the Sacred Realm. The entrance was barred with a wall of stone called the Door of Time, which could only be opened by a special song, played on a special instrument, and three Spiritual Stones.

"Hyrule has Gerudo. It has Zoras, Gorons, and Hylians. But it also has the Kokiri, the forest children. And this boy was raised by them, never knowing his true heritage and the awful fate that awaited him..."

Kafei listened in wonder. He'd loved stories of distant lands, and their history, and he was listening to one he'd never heard before. But... Link's expression was bitter, twisted with pain. Those sapphire blue eyes were dark and full of sorrow as he recounted the boy's nightmares, the death of the forest guardian, and his meeting with the lovely Princess of Destiny, Zelda.

"They made a plan, those two, to stop the Gerudo King before he laid his hands on the Triforce. But he was crafty, and tricked them both. The boy went and gathered the three Spiritual Stones, coming back in time to see the Princess flee the castle with the Sheikah, Impa. The Princess tossed the boy the Hyrulean Royal Family's treasure, the Ocarina of Time, in hopes that he would keep it safe."

Here the boy (or was he? The bitter and anger Kafei felt from him certainly wasn't like a child at all...) gave a harsh laugh, one that echoed in the stillness of the canyon.

"He failed."

The boy played the song on the Ocarina of Time, and the Door of Time opened at long last. Inside the Chamber of the Sword was a holy blade, the final key that Ganondorf would never have overcome. "The Master Sword was forged by the Goddess Hylia, only wielded by each Hero. Evil cannot touch it. The boy went in and grasped the sword, pulling it effortlessly from its pedestal."

The boy was too young, however, falling into sleep as his body matured into what it needed to be to truly wield the sacred blade. Seven years passed, years that destroyed the once-beautiful land. "Hyrule Castle burned, remade into a horrible Tower in Ganondorf's image, while the King was murdered. Zelda was gone, disappeared. Castle Town was destroyed, the poor souls killed during the attack transformed into ReDead monsters."

And when the boy woke up, he was horrified to learn what he had done. How could he be a Hero when he was the cause of the turmoil? He freed the Six Sages, eventually, finding the Princess he'd grown to love, only to have her snatched away. The Triforce had split, Link explained to his captivated and horrified audience, one part remaining with Ganondorf, one going to the Princess, and the last third bonding to the Hero. Ganondorf's goal was reuniting the three pieces and becoming a true King of Evil.

A battle was fought, the villain defeated. Sealed into the very Realm he'd corrupted. The Hero hoped he'd finally have rest. But alas...

"I can't really blame Zelda, I suppose," Link remarked with a faraway look in his eyes. "She truly believed she was doing the right thing. I gave her back the Ocarina of Time, and she sent me back to my childhood, before I'd pulled the sword out. I was back as a child. I warned Zelda of the fate awaiting us if Ganondorf was not dealt with, and then I left. I could not bear that land anymore, not when it had forgotten me, and all I'd suffered through..."

"You..." Kafei whispered, eyes wide. "You're the boy, the boy who became the Hero?"

"Yes," Link admitted. "I understand what you must be going through Kafei... for I am living it, as well. Though there is no hope for me. I fell into Termina, and now... I have to save it. The Ocarina of Time was stolen, though I've since reclaimed it. It allows me to rewind the three days before the Carnival, over and over and over and over again... I've tried helping you with this many times before, Kafei, and each time, I've failed you and Anju. But...this was the first time I'd ever told you my story."

Kafei felt tears sliding down his face. He had been so selfish, worried so much about his own troubles that he hadn't noticed Link's own suffering. "This time will be different, Link," he swore. "We'll retrieve that mask this time, and you'll stop Majora. I have faith in you."

Link just gave a small nod.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Kafei clutched the Sun Mask in his hands, chest heaving with the effort and nerves that the ordeal had left him with. Link stood beside him, small smile in place. Tatl, the small golden fairy that followed Link around, said, "Don't just stand there! Anju's waiting for you! Hurry back to Clock Town before the moon falls!"

"If you want, I can get us both back," Link offered. "My horse, Epona, is waiting at the bottom of the canyon, and it'll be a short trip from there."

"All right," Kafei nodded. "Thank you, Link... for everything."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Link looked back at the town, feeling utterly empty. Majora was defeated, the moon gone... the world was saved. Anju and Kafei were running outside the town, shouting Link's name. If his task was done, why did Link feel so empty and defeated? What was the point of him doing this, going through all the pain and suffering a second time if nothing was changed for him?

Once he left, Termina, and Clock Town, would forget about him. The Moon would be a scary bedtime story. The green-clothed boy who stopped it not even mentioned. This was all he was... a Shade of a Hero...

 _"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you...?"_

 **Anyone else have trouble with the Anju/Kafei side-quest? It takes me at least fifteen tries before I succeed, and I always feel so terrible that I ended up failing them! And yes, Link is different from how I usually portray him; this is the hero that eventually became the Hero's Shade, bogged with regrets, after all. But don't worry; this story will become less depressing later on. Link's just very depressed right now.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Really guys? Only one Review and THREE Follows? No Favs? *Sigh* You guys are sure hard to please. Maybe you guys will be kind to this poor old author with a new chapter?**

 **And no, that was not just a quote at the end of last chapter, if you're wondering.**

Chapter Two

Link whirled, his left hand flying to the hilt of the Gilded Sword, ready to draw it in one moment. Before him was the Happy Mask Salesman, dressed in his purple and gold, with the large pack of masks on his back. He was still rubbing his hands together continuously, that weird, almost creepy smile still on his face.

"You have done good work," the Salesman said, smile never faltering.

Link reluctantly and slowly let his hand fall from his sword. Whatever the Salesman was, Link doubted his sword could injure him. The Master Sword, perhaps, but that sword was out of his reach. Most likely forever.

"I retrieved Majora's Mask. It's spirit is gone, as is its' evil power." With that, Link handed the ornate mask over, glad to be rid of it though it was powerless. He would never forget the glowing yellow eyes and the feel of its evil magic.

But the Happy Mask Salesman took the mask with no fear or hesitation, almost weighing it. "Yes...thank you very much... Hero of Time."

This time, the Gilded Sword was unsheathed and held threateningly. "How do you know about that title?!" Link roared, sapphire eyes flashing. Unknown to him, the ghost of his adult self flashed behind him, just for a second.

The Salesman laughed. "I know most things men keep hidden," he said. "I know of your trials in Hyrule, your sufferings and what the lovely Princess Zelda decided. Your sorrow in your eyes tells all, you know."

"Don't call me that title," Link insisted. The sword never wavered. "I'm not a Hero, and certainly not of Time."

The Salesman flew into a rage, shaking Link violently. The Gilded Sword fell to the grass with a clatter. "Of course you are still a Hero, you foolish boy!" he yelled. "Do you think just anyone could go through what you have and still remain the least bit sane?!" Then the fit passed and Link was lying on the ground, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"I have seen your sorrow and unresolved guilt, Hero of Time. There is a reason the Fierce Deity's Mask resonates so with you. And so, a gift you shall receive, if you so wish."

Link carefully got to his feet, grabbing the Gilded Sword again. "What could you possibly have that I want?"

The Salesman smiled. "A Way to Regain what you've Lost."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"You know I am not what I seem," the Happy Mask Salesman continued, happily ignoring the dumbstruck expression on Link's face. "I was the one to teach you the Song of Healing, and my abilities are far beyond that. With my music, I can send you back... to Hyrule just after you were sent back in time, where you sealed away the Evil King."

Link was speechless, eyes wide as he stared. A way to go back? To Hyrule? To _Zelda_?

The intelligent thing to do would be to refuse. Who knows whether Link could trust the Happy Mask Salesman, who seemed so chaotic and suspicious? But Link's heart clenched at that thought. This, he knew, would be a one-time chance, and Link had a feeling that his fate would not be happy if he didn't at least take that chance.

The boy in green slowly nodded. "But first..."

The Salesman cocked an eyebrow.

"What about Termina? Clock Town, the Zoras, the Gorons, the Scrubs? If I go back to that future, will Termina be destroyed by the Moon?"

"Oh no, my dear boy!" the Salesman said indignantly. "Termina will be safe, and all the races in the land will remember your name! For a Hero is never forgotten, even if they no longer consider themselves one."

With that, the Happy Mask Salesman conjured his huge piano, his pack discarded to the side. His long fingers played over the keys masterfully, creating a song that was wild, sorrowful, hopeful, and full of despair all at once. The volume rose, as did the tempo, and the song continued on its way. A familiar blue light descended on Link, who could only close his eyes and hope his decision turn out for the best.

The last thing he heard before the music faded was the familiar laugh, and some new words from the Happy Mask Salesman...

 _"You are the memorable Hero of Time, young Link... and your story is only just beginning..."_


End file.
